Trimming machine



June 30,1942. \D. MCLEAN ETAL TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Oct. 22, 1940 2Sheets-Sheet l June 30, 1942.

D. G. MCLEAN El AL,

TRIMMING MACHINE Filed Oct. 22, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented June 30,1942 TRIMMING MACHINE.

Donald G. McLean, Beverly, Mass, and George A. Miner, Goffstown, N. H.,assignors to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J acorporation of New Jersey Application October 22, 1940, Serial No.362,258

20 Claims.

This invention relates to machines for trimming such objects as theedges of shoe-soles, it being especially adapted for rough-rounding anoutsole about the heel-seat and forming upon the 'upper margin aninclined surface or rand.

In machines of the character indicated above, the rounding and randingare commonly effected by a high-speed cutter, which throws off chips ata great velocity. These, with any collecting system now in use, tendtofly about the machine, sometimes being of such size and projected withsuch force as to injure the operator. An object of the invention istoprevent this scattering of the chips and to direct them alongpredetermined aths. This objectis achieved by associating with arotatable cutter having spaced arms, a hood extending about the cutterand open at one side thereof, and a disk or shield secured at the outerside of the cutter and provided with a series of openings adapted tocreate a current of air inwardly between the cutterarms to the interiorof the hood. By this current, the chips are carried away from the openside of the hood and delivered within it to the suction set up by thecustomary factory-system. To increase the strength of the air-current,the disk-openings may be inclined inwardly and rearwardly, and whenthere is at the outerside of the cutter a rotatable disk, which may be acrease-gage, an ample inflow of air is assured by having in the disk aseries of openings. That the direction in which the chips leave thecutter for their passage through the hood may be made more certain, andregardless of the creation of an air-current, there are projectionslying between the cutter-arms and having deflecting surfaces inclinedinwardly and rearwardly. These projections are preferably upon a disksecured to the cutter-shaft against the outer side of the cutter, so therelation of the deflecting surfaces is unaffected by the grinding of thecutter. This disk may be that in which the air-current-creating openingsare formed.

A further object of the invention is to provide for the correctpositioning of the workwith respect to the cutter, in amanner convenientfor the operator and without interference with the effective collectionof the chips. To this end,

there is movable on the hood previously menleasably securing the armorcarrier upon the hood, it may be swung back to give access to the cutterand its attached disk. The chipcollecting hood surrounds the peripheryof the cutter at the rear of the machine, while at the front a memberfor engagement with the treadsurface of a sole extends about the cutter.This tread-engaging member serves both as a cutterguard and an elementof the-collecting system, and co-operates with the crease-gage incorrectly presenting the work to the cutter. It is preferably mounted toyield upon the hood longitudinally of the cutter-axis, sothe work isurged toward the crease-gage and against the randing blade of thecutter, and its position is variable in the same direction so it maybetter act in connection with soles of different thicknesses. Thecrease-entering member or gage and the tread-engaging member or guardare carried by a movable mounting common to both, in the presentinstancethe hood. By this, they may be adjusted together longitudinallyof the cutteraxis. Consequently, if necessary, they may be quicklylocated when the cutter is changed, this adjustment not altering theirrelation to each other as arranged for operation upon soles of aparticular thickness.

The accompanying drawings illustrate one of the several embodimentswhich the invention may assume,

Fig. 1 being a front elevation of our improved machine;

Fig. 2, an enlarged broken front elevation of the elements more closelyco-operatingwith the work;

Fig. 3, an enlarged side elevation of the machine, looking from the leftin Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4, a perspective view of the cutter and its shield somewhatseparated from each other.

Upon a column H) the machine-head I2 is mounted, and in this isjournaled in ball-bearings M, M a horizontal shaft I6 rotated by powerapplied throughbelt-gearing I8, Clamped upon the end ofthe shaftopposite the driving means forced against a shoulder 28 upon the shaft16 by a screw 38 threaded into the outer end of said shaft, with itshead bearing against a disk or shield 32 surrounding the shaft andforced by the screw against the cutter. The outer face of the shield isshown as beveled toward the periphery to a guard-flange 34 (Fig. 4),which overhangs the randing blades 26. The shield has novelcharacteristics which will be described later.

To receive the chips produced by the cutter, it has at its oppositesides, above and at the rear, a collecting hood 36, which is preferablyjoined at 38 to the factory exhaust-system. The hood is shown assupported by an extension 40 secured to the top of the head [2 byslot-andscrew connections 42. These connections permit the adjustment ofthe hood, and the work-engaging elements which it carries with respectto the cutter longitudinally of its axis. The movement may befacilitated by a screw 44 threaded into the end of the extension 40, andheld against longitudinal movement by engagement with the machine-head.The heavier chips, which tend to descend from the cutter, are receivedby a tray 48 attached to the column by a bracket 68 and connected to theexhaust at 58.

To complete the hood, there is at the front of I the cutter C a guard52, extending about the right side of the cutter, as viewed from theoperating position, through about 180, bearing at its upper edge againsta vertical plate 53, which closes an opening at the upper front portionof the hood. The guard is attached by a screw 54 to the end of ahorizontal spindle 56, movable in a sleeve 53 which is clamped at 60 ina divided portion of the hood and having a fingerpiece 6| by which it,with the guard, may be shifted longitudinally of the cutter-shaft. Theguard is urged along the shaft toward its outer end by anexpansion-spring 62, situated within the sleeve and interposed betweenthe end of the spindle and a screw 84 threaded into the sleeve, and bywhich the force exerted by the spring may be altered. The movement ofthe spindle under the influence of the spring is to an extent permittedby a projection 66 from the spindle, lying in a slot 63 extendinglongitudinally of the sleeve. As the guard shifts, it moves along theoutside of a complementally curved projection 10 from the hood, so thatat no time is there a space opened for the escape of chips. In additionto aiding in the collection of chips, the member 52 prevents accidentalcontact with the cutter C and also furnishes, by a convex surface 12 atits outer side, a rest for the tread-surface of a sole, serving, with anelement still to be described, to position the work for operation uponit.

Pivoted at M (Fig. 3) upon a bracket 15 at the outer side of the hood 36is an arm 16, carrying at its inner side a ball-bearing 18 (Fig. 2). Theouter raceway of this bearing carries the hub 80 of a disk 82 axiallyalined with the cutter C. The periphery of the disk is curved outwardlyat 84 over the periphery of the shield 32 and the randing blades 26,which it encircles. The reduced edge 86 is adapted to enter the creaseof a shoe being operated upon, guiding this as it is turned by theoperator and acting as a gage to determine the depth of the cut made bythe blades 24 and 26. The surface 84 of the disk further protects theshoe-upper from the cutter, and, since it turns freely as the work isadvanced, it does not rub over and mar said upper by its contact. In theoperating position of the disk 82, the arm may be locked by a removablepin 98, extending through registering vertical openings in the arm andbracket. Upon removal of the pin, the arm and disk may be swungoutwardly to give access to the cutter and its shield.

To prevent chips from being thrown laterally from the hood, where theexhaust through the connections 38 and 50 is not fully effective, thedisk or shield 32 has means for creating an inward air-current past thecutter. This consists of a circular series of openings 92, which lie atan angle to the cutter-axis, being inclined inwardly and rearwardly withrespect to the direction of rotation, as indicated by the arrow in-Fig.4. As the rear sides of these openings strike the air in theirrevolution, they draw this in and force it between the cutter-arms 28back into the hood. That air may be supplied freely for thisblower-effect, it is admitted to the openings 92 through a circularseries of openings '94 in the gage-disk 82. To prevent the chips frombeing caught in the depressions 96 at the front of the revolving arms 20and building out to the blades 24, where they would be cut repeatedly,the inner side of the shield 32 is provided with two projections 98, 98which are so formed that they will occupy considerable portions of thedepressions. The forward side of each projection is inclined at Iinwardly and rearwardly, and, striking the chips, deflects them awayfrom the arms in the same direction as is taken by the air-currentsthrough the openings 92. The inclined projections upon the shield arefurnished instead of correspondingly beveling the cutter-arms, becauseit frees these surfaces from the effect produced by grinding back thecutter. This would weaken the arms, and the blades may become so reducedthat shoulders would be formed in the arms generally parallel to theaxis of rotation. These shoulders would interfere with the chips, asthey roll back from the cutter-blades, and in them said chips would tendto gather. It is customary to provide for use with cutters of thischaracter a plurality of shields of different diameters, so, as saidcutter is reduced by grinding, the relation between its periphery andthat of the shield may be kept reasonably constant. This change ofshields, with their differently arranged projections, maintains thearm-depressions 96 substantially occupied by the deflecting surfaces andfree from chip-retaining depressions.

Using the apparatus with the work held in the hands of the operator, themargin of an outsole 0, attached to an upper U and. projecting about theheel-seat, is presented to the cutter C (Fig. 2), This presentation isbest effected by forcing the tread-surface of the sole inwardly and tothe right against the curved surface 12 of the rest 52, pressing thisback slightly against its spring 62 and then allowing the spring tocarry the work oppositely into operating position. In this movement, thecrease between the sole and the upper seats itself upon the gagedisk 82,this engagement determining the depth to which the cutter will operate.The force exerted by the expanding spring constantl urges the uppermargin of the sole toward the gagedisk 82, steadying the work andholding it against displacement as the operator turns it to present theperiphery of the heel-seat-portion to the cutter. When there is asubstantial change in the thickness of the sole, the operator may varythe space between the tread-rest 52 and :its slot-andescrew connections42. any adjustment, whichmay have been :made for sole-thicknesses by thepositioning of the rest 52 -will1be unaffected, because this rest andthe :When a new cutter is substituted, its-overall length maychange.This may be compensated forbyshifting the hood36 upon the head 12 by Inso doing,

crease-gage 82 are moved together by the commonmounting furnishedbythehood. With-the and the rest 52, and a current of air flowingstrongly in through the gage-disk-openings 9d, the shield-openings 92and over the deflecting surfaces-I00 of the shield, the chips areconducted with certainty back into the collecting system, being neitherthrown toward the .operator nor about the machine, while the cutteritself is guarded :by the shield-projections 98 from gathering chips.

I-Iavingdescribed our invention, what we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a trimming machine, a rotatable cutter having spaced arms, a hoodextending about the cutter and open at one side thereof, and a disksecured to the cutter at the outer side, said disk being provided with aseries of openings adapted to create a current of air inwardly betweenthe cutter-arms to the interior of the hood.

2. In a trimming machine, a rotatable cutter having spaced arms, a hoodextending about the cutter and open at one side thereof, and a disksecured to the cutter at the outer side, said disk being provided with aseries of openings each inclined inwardly from the outer side to thespaces between the cutter-arms and rearwardly with respect to thedirection of rotation of the cutter.

3. In a trimming machine, a rotatable cutter having spaced arms, a hoodextending about the cutter and open at one side thereof, a disk securedto the cutter at the outer side, said disk being provided with a seriesof openings adapted to create a current of air inwardly between thecutter-arms to the interior of the hood, and a disk mounted to turn atthe outer side of the cutter and having a series of openings throughwhich air is delivered to the cutter-disk-openmgs,

4. In a trimming machine, a rotatable cutter having spaced arms, a hoodextending about the cutter and open at one side thereof, and a disksecured to the cutter at the outer side, said disk being provided withprojections lying between the cutter-arms and having surfaces inclinedinwardly and rearwardly with respect to the direction of rotation of thecutter and arranged to deflect the chips from the cutter into the hood.

5. In a trimming machine, a rotatable cutter having spaced arms, a hoodextending about the cutter and open at one side thereof, and a disksecured to the cutter at the outer side, said disk being provided with aseries of openings adapted to create a current of air inwardly betweenthe cutter-arms to the interior of the hood, there being surfacessituated between said cutter-arms by which chips under the influence ofthe aircurrent are deflected rearwardly with respect to the direction ofrotation of the cutter.

6. In a trimming machine, a rotatable shaft, a cutter fast upon theshaft at one extremity and having spaced arms, a disk secured upon theshaft against the cutter at its outer side and provided withv.acliipedeflecting ,projections extending between :the cutter-arms, and,a hood about the cutter .to receive 1 the :defiected chips.

' 7. In a "trimming :machine, a rotatable shaft, a cutter fastupon theshaft at one extremity'and .having spaced :arms, ;:a -;disk secured uponthe shaft against the cutter at'its outer side andnpro- -vided withchip-deflecting zprojections extending between the cutter-:arms, :therebeing, openings through the diskbetweenxthe projections, and a hoodaboutthe cutter to receive the deflected chips.

:8.2In .a trimming. machine, ;a :rotatable shaft,

provided with "chip-deflecting projections 'eX- ;tending between thecutter-arms, ,a hood about the cutter to receive the deflected chips,and a disk freelyxrotatable .upon the :hood outside :the cutter-disk.

.9. In:a trimming machine,.a rotatableshafi, a cutter fast uponthegshaft at one extremity and having spaced arms, a disk secured uponthe shaft against the cutter at its outer side and provided withchip-deflecting projections extending between the cutter-arms, therebeing openings through the disk between the projections, a hood aboutthe cutter to receive the deflected chips, and a disk freely rotatableupon the hood outside the cutter-disk and provided with openings.

10. In a trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a chip-collecting hoodextending about the cutter and open at one side thereof, a carriermovable upon the hood at the open side and provided with a bearing, anda crease-gage rotatable upon the bearing adjacent to the cutter and inaxial alinement therewith.

11. In a trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a chip-collecting hoodextending about the cutter and open at one side thereof, an arm pivotedupon the hood outside the opening thereof, a gage-disk rotatable uponthe arm, and means for releasably securing the arm with the gage-diskadjacent to the cutter.

12. In a sole-trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a chip-collectinghood surrounding the periphery of the cutter at the rear of the machine,and a member having a convex tread-engaging surface extendingperipherally about the cutter at the front of the machine.

13. In a sole-trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a chip-collectinghood surrounding the periphery of the cutter at the rear of the machine,and a tread-engaging member extending about the cutter at the front ofthe machine and mounted to yield upon the hood longitudinally of thecutter-axis.

14. In a sole-trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a chip-collectinghood surrounding the periphery of the cutter at the rear of the machine,a tread-engaging member extending about the cutter at the front of themachine, and means arranged to vary the normal position of the engagingmember longitudinally of the cutter-axis.

15. In a sole-trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a chip-collectinghood extending about the cutter and provided with a tubular portion, aspindle mounted upon the tubular portion for limited longitudinalmovement along the axis of the cutter, a tread-engaging member fixedupon the spindle, and a spring situated in the tubular portion andurging the tread-engaging member to a normal position outside thecutter.

16. In a sole-trimmingmachine, a rotatable cutter, a crease-enteringmember situated at one side of the cutter, a tread-engaging memberspaced from the crease-entering member, and a movable mounting common tothe two members and by which they may be adjusted togetherlongitudinally of the cutter-axis.

1'7. In a sole-trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a crease-enteringmember situated at one side of the cutter, a tread-engaging memberspaced from the crease-entering member, a movable mounting common to thetwo members and by which they may be adjusted together longitudinally ofthe cutter-axis, and means arranged to vary the space between themembers.

18. In a sole-trimming machine, .a rotatable cutter, a chip-collectinghood extending about the cutter, a crease-entering disk rotatable uponthe hood, a cutter-guard mounted upon the hood and adapted forengagement with the tread-surface of the sole, and means arranged toposition 'the'hood differently longitudinally of the axis of the cutter.

19. In a sole-trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a chip-collectinghood extending about the cutter, a crease-entering disk rotatable uponthe hood, a cutter-guard mounted upon the hood and adapted forengagement with the tread-surface of the sole, means arranged toposition the cutter-guard upon the hood at difierent normal distancesfrom the crease-disk, and means arranged to position the hooddifferently longitudinally of the axis of the cutter.

20. In a sole-trimming machine, a rotatable cutter, a chip-collectinghood extending about the cutter, a crease-entering disk rotatable uponthe hood, a cutter-guard mounted upon the hood to yield from thecrease-gage and adapted for engagement with the tread-surface of thesole, and means arranged to position the hood differently longitudinallyof the axis of the cutter.

DONALD G. MCLEAN. GEORGE A. MINER.

